Yesterday I had a strange
questions posed to me during a discussion of Nityananda/Gauranga Naam."What if all of this was an illusion?I mean, what if there was no reincarnation,
no god, nothing after this death."This question quite took me by suprise, but no-less left me thinking
deeply.

This question poses
further questions."If there is
"nothing" after death, would I life my life differently?Would I change and "enjoy" the
fruits of my labor, my body, etc.?Whould I be as "bad" as I wanted to be?"To these further questions, I would have to
answer "No".

The Christian concept of
having only one life, and after this the "judgement".The Muslims and the Jews say the same, that
we are given only one life, and after this we go into eternity never to see
this material world again.When
discussing these religious principles with this young lady, I had to pose
questions to her that would make her think also.Its times like this that I wonder how they
"find" me, and why they approach me.Not like I have a sign over the door or anything, LOL.Oh well, maybe this is why I'm here...

With the theology of the
Semitic religions that we do not reincarnate, and that we only have one life,
does not the sins committed by these religions deem much more severe than in
the religious context of Hinduism and Buddhism who hold to a reincarnation
belief?Is not the murder of an
individual much more severe when there is no chance of retribution, especially
when committed with "religious zeal" than in my own, which holds to
the practice of ahimsa?Is not the
sanctity of all life must more dramatic when it is taken senslessly and with
disreguard much more taumatic on the eternal scale?

In speaking with this
young lady, there arose in my own mind certain points that confirmed the
illogical conclusions of her question.All peoples of this material planet hold some form of religious thought.From the most philosophical Vaishnava Sadhu
and Buddhist Sage, to the most primitive stone-aged warrior in the jungles of
the Americas, there exists the desire to know the Divine and that which is
beyond the material senses.As having
taken birth in the later, I deeply understand my own people's understanding of
the worlds around them in a spiritual context.Unlike the "white man" and his concepts of eternity, our's is
a belief where every material item has a spirit that is to be honored.My Grandmother told me as a child,
"don't look at the surface, but to what is held within."As I grew older and learned the "Ways of
the Ancients", every rock and tree had a spirit, had a heart-beat, and
this was to be respected and honored.The wind not only had its own spirit, but was full of colors and
character, traveling at the bequest and joy of the Creator.Not until years later did I fully understand
the teachings and wisdom of my people's spiritual nature until I heard a song
in a Disney movie which stated: "I know the name of every rock and tree,
where they live and breath...do you know from which the wind blows, can you
paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Even though my own
heritage carries its own wisdom, coming to Krishna Consciousness has not only
completed my own journey, but explained the wisdom of my people in a deeper
light.As I explained this to the young
lady, that all peoples have a religious belief, no matter how primitive, the
examples between people is to obvious to ignore.As we talked on, it became obvious to both of
us that the Creator of all living things placed within us the desire to learn
more of Him, and to live in accordance to His laws and desires.If even the thought of nothing existing
beyond death, the life that is lived in full spectrum of Love and obedience to
the Supreme is much more wealthy than the life lived in selfish persuits of the
desires of the flesh and mind.Even
though life is done, there continues to remain the ugly reality that a life
lived in the prison of mind and body is empty and meaningless.Such a life is a waste, one that is certainly
not worth mentioning in the annuals of history or even repeating orally.

In the study of the human
spirit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has given many priviledges to the
human body.Intelligence to question
one's reality and reason of being.In
this persuit of knowledge, we are given the desire to learn more of the Supreme
and that which lies outside of ourselves.The true knowledge of self does not begin until we have a goal in mind,
that of what to measure ourselves against.I explained to her that I myself judge myself against religious
"saints" of my own people, the status and position of my Gurumaharaj
and Shri Nityananda and ultimately Shri Gauranga.Without this measure, each day can blur into
the next without any sense to advancement or failure.Daily one should annalize their lives and the
quality one lives it.If we are honest
with ourselves, then truly we strive to become the best that we can become in
this life, to release that which binds us spiritually and physically and become
that which the Supreme desires for us to become.

Our position is that of
servant, and servant we are no matter what our mind set is of ourselves.Well...maybe not servant, most people are
slaves, slaves to their minds, slaves to their bodies, slaves to their desires,
addictions and passions.Whereas one
that is a servant chooses their positon consciously and willingly, out of their
own choice, not out of force from external influences.I choose to be a servant to my
Gurumaharaj.I choose to quietly sit at
his lotus feet.I choose to serve Shri
Gauranga with all my being, better today than I did yesterday, dedicating every
waking moment for his supreme pleasure.One can only offer their heart, soul and love willingly, these three
cannot be demanded of anyone, even the Supreme.This is the supreme sacrifice that one can make, to willingly give one's
complete being, offer all that one is as a spirit-soul to the lotus feet of the
Lord.

I cannot question along
these lines, I guess I'm not "programmed" in that manner.To me, the existance of "God" has
always been as real to me as the grass that grows under my feet.He has always been the formost aspect of my
own being, even prior to meeting the Lord's devotees.Even as a small child, I can remember laying
in bed at night questioning God as to what my purpose was.Even then, this life had to have some
purpose, and I remember asking that He arrange my life where I would come to know
Him and understand what my position was, both physically and eternally.

While I know that this
situation with this young lady is not over, after thinking farther on her
question both last night and early this morning, I have more points for the
discussion.I do not take her question
as offensive because she's honest in her question and truly seeking the
truth.The youth of this country is so
confused, without direction and purpose, and sadly, cast aside to a large
degree by the older generations as worthless in some manners.Atleast she is proving that she has a mind
and is willing to approach someone that she "feels" may hold the
answers to her own life's questions.I
pray for the wisdom to handle this situation appropriately, and to provide the
answers that will lead this young lady to the lotus feet of Shri Shri
Nitai-Gaurahari.